Confirmation is a rite of initiation in several Christian denominations, normally carried out through anointing, the laying on of hands, and prayer, for the purpose of bestowing the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
In Christianity, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant made in Holy Baptism. In some denominations, confirmation also bestows full membership in a local congregation upon the recipient. In others, such as the Roman Catholic Church, confirmation "renders the bond with the Church more perfect", because a baptized person is already a full member.
Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, and many Anglicans view Confirmation as a sacrament. In the East it is conferred immediately after baptism. In the West,
this practice is followed when adults are baptized, but in the case of
infants not in danger of death it is administered, ordinarily by a
bishop, only when the child reaches the age of reason
or early adolescence. Among those Catholics who practice teen-aged
confirmation, the practice may be perceived, secondarily, as a "coming
of age" rite.
In Protestant churches, the rite tends to be seen rather as a mature statement of faith by an already baptised
person. It is also required by most Protestant denominations for
membership in the respective church, in particular for traditional
Protestant churches. In traditional Protestant churches (Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran etc.) it is recognized by a coming of age ceremony. Confirmation is not practised in Baptist, Anabaptist and other groups that teach believer's baptism.
There is an analogous ceremony also called Confirmation in the Jewish religion, which is not to be confused with Bar Mitzvah. The early Jewish Reformers instituted a ceremony where young Jews who are older than Bar Mitzvah age study both traditional and contemporary sources of Jewish philosophy
in order to learn what it means to be Jewish. The age instituted was
older than that of Bar Mitzvah because some of these topics were
considered too complicated for thirteen-year-old minds to grasp.
Nowadays, Confirmation has gained widespread adherence among
congregations affiliated with the Reform movement, but has not gained as much traction in Conservative and Orthodox
Jewish groups. The way Confirmation differs from Bar Mitzvah is that
Confirmation is considered a more communal confirmation of one's being
Jewish, and Bar Mitzvah is more of a personal confirmation of joining
that covenant.
More Examples of Manufactured Confirmation Cards:
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